Alinsky was wrong asserting that we cannot follow our own rules. When Jesus told the woman, "Go and sin no more," he was not giving her an impossible task, but one open to any moral-minded adult.
Alinsky missed the power of moral example because he taught immoral methods. Yet advocacy of true moral principles, and exemplifying them by doing the right thing at whatever personal cost, shine out to the human soul in a way that the enemy's threats, guilt-mongering and intimidation never will.
Those who must cheat to win political points succeed mostly in blotting out their souls. In the long run, they cannot even enjoy their spoils.
In contrast, those who keep the faith and act with good conscience are the winners despite any political outcome whatsoever. But the paradox is, they will change even the darkest politics for the better, by the force of their moral example.
I agree in principle. But I see nothing wrong with eliminating terminal naivete about the enemy's tactics as an operating philosophy. Conservatives allow themselves to be sucker-punched, sandbagged, kneed in the groin, rolled, sapped and brass-knuckled over and over again. They never see it coming! Why do they never have a back-up plan? Why can't they ever see more than a move or two ahead in the political chess game? Why don't they comprehend that the enemy plays by Lucifer's rules? They don't have to adopt the same corrupt rules to win but they have to play the real game.
Why am I, a citizen with an average I.Q., seemingly able to see Democrat tactics so clearly while Republican strategists set themselves up for troubles over and over and over? Whenever Lucy begs Republican Charley Browns to have another kick at the football they always naively oblige -- then wonder where it went at the last moment. The name Orrin Hatch comes immediately to mind but there are plenty of others.
There are people who don't learn from experience, and that's where the Stupid Party gets its name. Maybe we could start by sending copies of Alinsky's books to every member of the Stupid Party in the Congress and Senate.